Different
by Rowena of Naxen
Summary: Being the daughter of the Rogue and the Terrier is not a lot of fun, as Elle Piper knows. Everyone seems to think she's a Rat which she isn't and her parents worry too much. The last thing she needs is Beka's sisters recognizing her. -please R R!-
1. Aunts and Other Annoying Family Members

**Different:** Chapter 1: Aunts and Other Annoying Family Members

Elle Piper was undeniably lovely. She was small and petite, with her father's white-blonde hair and her mothers flashing icy blue eyes. Many of the men at the Court of the Rouge would flirt with her when she came to visit her father. But when the others would warn them that she was the daughter of the Rouge himself, they would leave her, fearing his anger. The King of the Thieves would be very, very angry if his daughter was hurt.

Elle stood at Kora's booth in the Daymarket, coolly regarding the two women in front of her, who had yet to notice that she was waiting to help them. They were both dressed too well for the Lower City-there was no way they actually lived there.

Finally the lady that appeared to be the younger of the two turned to her. "Where is Mistress Kora? She is the owner of this booth, and she helped us when we were here last."

_Definitely not Lower City mots,_ Elle thought as she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Kora's not here in the evenings, so I watch the booth. My name is Elle Piper, and I assure you I can help. I know a lot about charms and such." Kora was already at the Court of the Rouge, the Dancing Dove, where she told fortunes for the thieves, but Daymarket wasn't over yet, so Elle watched the booth.

"Is Piper your father's surname, or your mother's?" the other woman asked, squinting at her.

"Diona!" the other woman said, ashamed. She should be-it was a rude question, but Elle was used to such things.

"Piper is my father's surname." Technically, her father was "the Piper" but she didn't tell that to strangers. Too many people wouldn't have qualms about killing her to harm her father. She would use her mother's surname, but her mother had just as many enemies as her father and less people made the connection from Rosto the Piper to Elle Piper.

The older woman was still thinking. The other woman turned to Elle. "I believe Mistress Kora had one of her cloth-cleaning charms ready for us? We were supposed to come pick it up." As Elle nodded and looked through the charms Kora had prepared, she thought, _those women definitely look related. They could be sisters._

The ruder woman, Diona, looked at her. "What is your mother's name?" She asked. Before Elle could answer, the other woman scolded her, but Diona said "Lorine, don't her eyes look like Beka's?" Lorine looked to Elle for the answer to the question.

Elle swallowed. These women obviously knew her mother-Beka was her mother's nickname, and Elle had inherited her icy blue eyes. "My mother is Guardswoman Rebakah Cooper." There, she had said it.

The woman called Lorine's eyes lit up. "But she is our sister!" She cried. Elle let out the breath she had been holding. So these were Mama's sisters. She had told Elle about them once, but she didn't see them much. Apparently they were trying to become people in the world and didn't like it when Beka became a Dog, even though she was a famous Dog.

Lorine was almost crying with happiness. "We are your aunts!" she said happily.

Diona wasn't as happy. "Beka never even bothered to tell us she was married? Or that she had children?" she asked, hurt in her eyes.

"But we scorned her when she became a Dog. Now we can apologize and get to know her husband and her children!" Lorine rejoiced. To Elle she said "What is your father's name?"

Elle swallowed again. "Rosto the Piper." And when neither woman's face twisted in hate, she silently thanked Mithros and the Goddess that neither of her aunts spent enough time in the Lower City to know that he was the King of the Thieves.

Lorine had asked her how many siblings she had, and Elle had told her she had two older brothers, one a Dog and one just a Puppy, and that she was the youngest. And when they asked if the could stop by and see Beka, and where they lived, Elle told them that address of the boarding house her father had bought upon the former landlady's death. It was across from the Dancing Dove, Elle told them, and she said for them to come in the morning before her mother started her watch. She didn't mention that was also before her father went to the Court of the Rouge.

Then Elle closed up the booth, because Daymarket was ending by the time her aunts left. Elle got the feeling Lorine was happier than Diona that they were going to see Beka again.

Then Elle rat to the Jane Street kennel, but her mother had already left, so she went looking for her and finally found her on the street over from the Mantel and Pullet with her partner Lind and their new Puppy, Gita Burns, a girl a little older than Elle was. Gita was clearly intimidated to be paired with the famous Beka Cooper, and Elle had a feeling seeing her, one of the infamous bastard children of Rebakah Cooper and the Rouge didn't help. But she had to warn her mother that her sisters were coming to visit tomorrow.

Her mother looked a little less than pleased when Elle told her she hadn't told them Rosto's occupation or that he and Beka weren't officially married.

But Beka just told Elle to run along home, out of the Cesspool. Elle restrained from asking her why she couldn't stay in the Cesspool when the Puppy Gita was the same age as she and working in the Cesspool, and when her brothers were too. She didn't think her mother would appreciate it just then.

So Elle went home, to the house across from the Dancing Dove, the Court of the Rouge. But she thought that her father might like to hear the news from her early in the evening as opposed to from her mother, tired after her watch when she would probably forget to tell him anyway.

She slipped inside, hardly noticed by anyone in the noisy games of cards, the loud arguments at the tables where the thieves sat, getting drunk on ale and flirting with doxies. She wrinkled her nose, searching the place for her father. She remembered the time one of the men suggested she become a doxie. He had offered to be her first customer, before she pulled a knife on him and then her father found out…

She recognized her father, his pale hair shining as he sat on the tall chair by the fire, surveying his people and the inn he had built. Then his dark eyes landed on her. His brow furrowed. Elle knew he was subtly beckoning her forward, but she also knew if that didn't work he'd come and get her. For someone who was the King of the Thieves he sure didn't like having his daughter spending time in the Dancing Dove.

She walked across the inn to her father. She said hello to Aniki, her father's friend and former lover, who was also the Queen of the Ladies of the Rouge.

"Why are you here, Elle?" Her father asked her. She smiled.

"I came to warn you, Mama's sisters are coming for breakfast tomorrow. They were at Kora's booth and dragged the address out of me." Elle told him. She was talking to Aniki too, but she was pretending not to listen.

"Oh." Rosto said. He was still surveying his people.

"I already found Mama on Watch and warned her," she continued.

"Did she tell you to come warn me?" Rosto asked.

"Um…no." Elle said.

"Than why are you here?" Elle sighed. Neither of her parents liked her at the Court of the Rouge.

"Mama told me to go home, but I thought I'd stop by and warn you before Mama didn't ell you until tomorrow morning. She'll probably forget after Watch, you know that."

"Alright, you've told me. Now you can go home." Rosto dismissed her.

Elle sighed as she walked to her house across the street. It had once been two boarding houses where her parents had stayed when they were young. When the landlady retired, Rosto bought them and connected them into one house. She was the only one in the building. Her adoptive uncle Ersken, her mother, and her two older brothers were all Dogs on Evening Watch. Her father, his friend Phelan, and her two adoptive aunts Kora and Aniki were across the street at the Court of the Rouge. Kora and Ersken's three small children were asleep in an upstairs room in the Dove where Kora was nearby-Ersken would fetch them when he got back from Watch. All the people who lived in the house would be out past midnight. Elle, however, was supposed to go to sleep now.

She sighed. You would think her parents would be less overprotective.

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to the very talented Tamora Pierce. Everything you don't recognize I made up but is based off of the book **_**Terrier.**_

_**A/N:**__ So this is my first fanfic, and I'd really appreciate reviews-stuff you liked, constructive criticism, whatever. I hope to expand this-I have the general story line in my head, but it's not definite. Also I'm aware we don't _know_ if Rosto and Beka have kids, but I think they do! So go ahead and review, please!_


	2. First Meeting

**Different:** Chapter 2: First Meeting

Elle walked to Kora's booth late in the morning, letting the sounds and smells of the Lower City envelop her. People called out to their friends as they walked through Daymarket. Vendors called prices, each trying to outdo the next. Some of the people sneered at her as they walked by. They didn't like her, because of her parents. But today Elle wasn't paying attention to any of them. She was thinking about breakfast that morning with her mother's siblings.

It had gone well, she decided. Diona hadn't come, but Lorine had brought Beka's brothers, Will and Nilo, both of whom had been thrilled to see her. They had all gotten along with Rosto alright, though she was sure Will and Nilo knew that he was the Rogue, even if Lorine didn't. After the somewhat awkward introductions Beka's siblings had stayed for breakfast, eating and talking with Rosto, Elle's two brothers, and the rest of their adopted family. They had even said hello to Elle, who had been burdened with watching over Kora and Ersken's three young children, Lily, Amanda and Andrew.

Elle opened the booth and sat on the high stool behind it. She was about to open up her book and start reading it when a young man approached the booth. He was a couple of years older than her and very handsome, tall and leanly muscled with windblown brown hair and flashing green-hazel eyes. His clothes were good quality cloth, but well used-he was either a rich merchant's son or a noble.

She put her book away as he stopped in front of her, leaning on the counter.

"Hello," she said politely. "What can I do for you?"

He smiled, than answered "I was sent by my Lord Provost to give a message to Rebakah Cooper. I was told I could find someone who knew her here?"

Elle smiled back involuntarily. "Pardon me for asking, but why did my Lord Provost send _you_? You don't look like a messenger."

"It's a very important message."

"Ah." Elle said. "Than I'm afraid I can't give you the address, because I don't know who you are and my mother's life is also very important."

He laughed. "I'm Sir Evan of Deerhorn. Lord Gershom is training me to become Lord Provost when he retires." He held out his hand to her.

"Elle Piper." Elle said, holding out her own hand. He took it, surprising her by leaning down to kiss her hand rather than shaking it.

He smiled at her again. "Guardswoman Cooper's daughter."

"Yes," Elle said, pulling her hand out of his. She didn't want to be rude, but he was being very forward by holding her hand, and her hand was starting to tingle in a not unpleasant but definitely unfamiliar way. It was unsettling her, and Elle didn't like to be unsettled.

"Now that we have got the introductions out of the way, will you tell me where I can find her?" Evan asked. "It _is_ a very important message."

"Oh, of course." Elle wrote the address of her house down on a scrap of paper and gave it to him. "She should be there. If she isn't, somebody there should know where she's gone." Than she paused. "You do know your way around the Lower City?" she asked hesitantly. Nobles got lost easily in the Lower City, especially when they were knifed by rushers and couldn't protect themselves. Even some knights didn't know how to fight against knives.

He laughed. "Don't worry, I'll get there in one piece. 'Til next time, Elle Piper." And he was gone.

Elle sat down, hard, cradling her hand in her lap. It still tingled where he had kissed it.

*****

Evan was thinking, barely paying attention to where he was going. The paper Elle had scribbled her address on was in his hand. She knew how to write-that was one of the things that made her unique for a Lower City girl. He couldn't believe he had just met the daughter of the Rogue and the Terrier. He had heard about her before, of course. Lord Gershom had told him that she would most likely be the one at the booth. But when he saw her-he thought she was far too beautiful to be from the Lower City.

He reached the house, checking the address before knocking on the door. Now he had to be official. But in the back of his mind, he was wondering when and how he would be able to see Elle Piper again.

**Disclaimer: **Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce. Everything you don't, I made up but is based off of the Beka Cooper series.

_**A/N:**__ Thanks a million to all the people who reviewed or put this story on their Story Alerts! You guys have really encouraged me to write more! Also, I hope this chapter is okay. It was harder to write because I have the rest of the story planned out but I didn't know how to do this part. Hope it makes sense. Now be a good reader and click the review button…it'll make me update sooner…_


	3. Talk over Dinner

**Different:** Chapter 3: Talk over Dinner

Elle sat at Kora's booth, watching the people walk by with little interest. Dogs, rushers, soldiers, doxies, normal folk, merchants, nobles-it was the same every day. She sighed. She wasn't very happy.

She had to admit it, she had been in a bad mood all day. It had started right after she woke up. It was her mother's day off, and Ersken's, so of course Kora and Ersken were inseparable, as were Beka and Rosto. It wasn't that Elle didn't like to see her parents happy, because she did-she just felt a little lonely.

Than her second eldest brother Gerald had brought his new sweetheart home to breakfast to meet the family. They were adorably in love, so much so that Elle had excused herself from breakfast early and went to Kora's booth.

She'd no reason to be sad, she tried to tell herself. But on days like this it was painfully apparent that she had no sweetheart, nor had she ever had one. Her parents were too overprotective-even at 16 she was their vulnerable child, the youngest and only girl. No man, according to them, was good enough for her.

For some reason this train of thought led her to the memory of Sir Evan of Deerhorn's face two days ago. His smile, and how it had made her feel…

At first she thought she was hallucinating when she saw Evan approach the booth, but then she realized it really was him.

He stopped in front of her and gave her the charming smile she remembered. "Hello," he said, and he seemed less sure of himself, less like a noble than he had the first time she saw him, which only made Elle happier to see him.

"Hello," Elle said.

"How are you this evening?" he asked her.

"Quite fine, thank you." Elle smiled lightly. "And how are you, sir knight?"

He shook his head. "Oh, please don't call me sir knight. It's just Evan."

"Alright than, how are you, Evan?" she said.

"Better now," he said simply. Elle narrowed her eyebrows, confused. "I've been waiting to get out and walk around all day. Today was one of the days I sat all day while Lord Gershom lectured on what makes a good Provost," he explained. Elle nodded. Evan wanted to say he had been waiting all day to come see her, but he didn't.

"I understand," Elle said. "This is Kora's booth, but sometimes I watch it all day."

"When do you close?" Evan asked.

Elle looked around and saw the other shop owners beginning to close up. "Right about now," she said. Evan waited for her to finish, than asked easily "Would you like to go someplace for dinner?"

"Me?" Elle said, then composed herself as Evan nodded, hiding laughter in his clear hazel-green eyes. "That would be nice," she said finally.

He offered his arm. "Follow me," he said, and Elle took it, flattered that he was treating her like a proper lady.

They began walking in silence to Naxen's Fancy, where they sat at a table for two. Elle became uncomfortable as Evan turned to face her, increasingly aware that he was taking her to dinner-a nice gesture-but that he was a noble, and it was improper for him to be with her.

"So tell me about yourself," he said.

"Oh no, you don't want to hear about me," she said. "It's boring." She sighed. "I've never done anything exciting."

He frowned. "I'm sure it's not boring," he said. "_My_ life is boring."

"_You?_ You got to train to be a knight! You get to travel places I've never heard of! You get to see all sorts of important people, like the king!" Elle cried.

Evan shrugged. "Training to be a knight isn't that exciting," he said. "I'm sure your life was much more fun-you didn't have people telling you where you were supposed to be every second of the day, telling you every little thing you had to do."

Elle shook her head. "You haven't met my parents."

Than Evan nodded. "Oh yes, Rebakah Cooper and Rosto the Piper." He paused. "So you don't know your father that well?"

Elle rolled her eyes. "Everyone assumes that. It's very annoying. Rosto is a wonderful father-just because he is the Rogue doesn't mean he doesn't care about us or Mama!" Evan tried to interrupt, but Elle was frustrated now. "My parents are just way too overprotective-I can't be a Dog, I might get hurt. I can't even step foot in the Dancing Dove, I might get hurt." She sighed.

"I'm sorry," Evan said. "Do people misunderstand your parents a lot?"

"Yes," Elle said, looking down.

"Is that why you work at the booth? They won't let you do anything else?" Evan asked.

"Yes, that's it." She said. "They think I'll be safer if I'm just a regular Lower City gixie."

"Aren't your brothers in the Provosts Guard?" he asked.

"Yes, but I didn't want to be a Dog," Elle said. She wrinkled her nose.

Evan raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Elle saw the look on his face. "Oh, not that I don't think being a Dog is a good idea," she explained. "I just didn't want to do it."

Evan understood that. And as they ate and talked, Elle realized that he truly was interested in her, and that Evan understood her-understood her better than her brothers or her parents, even. And she understood him, and liked talking to him. By the end of their dinner, any awkwardness between them had evaporated.

Evan walked her home, still treating her like a lady. As they stopped at her door, Elle turned to face him. "Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight," he said. "I'm glad we got to talk. It was wonderful." Evan paused. Elle smiled, blushing. "I hope to see you again soon, Elle."

"Me too," she said, and Evan walked away, pausing once to look over his shoulder and smile at her. Elle smiled back. She had smiled a lot that evening-she really did enjoy spending time with Evan, she realized. A lot of the time she didn't like to talk to people, because they gawked at her or whispered about her behind her back. But she did like spending time with Evan.

Elle smiled as she walked inside, happier than she had been in a long time. Any loneliness that she had felt that morning was gone.

* * *

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce. Everything you don't I made up but is based off of the Beka Cooper series.**

_**A/N:**__ I know I took longer to update on this chapter and I'm sorry about that (it didn't take me long compared to some people, though). The reason for that is first of all, it took me a while to finish writing this chapter, and second of all, the night I was going to finish my electricity went out, and then my computer's battery died, and on top of all of that I had this stupid course selection and Algebra placement test for school next year that I had to finish because it was due today. _

_Sorry, that was long. As usual, thanks to all of you readers who put my story on story alert, add it to your favorites, and especially REVIEW! which you should all be doing. If I have any grammar/spelling mistakes, please let me know, I will try to fix them. (Thanks to **Vine Archer** for that already.)__ Anyways, sorry about the really long A/N. Now you know what you should do…review (questions, comments, suggestions, etc appreciated). -rowena_


	4. A Second Opinion

**Different:** Chapter 4: A Second Opinion

"Elle!" Elle looked up with a start.

"May!" she cried, running around the booth to embrace her friend. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know," May said. "I'm sorry about that."

Elle shook her head. "No matter, you're here now." She released her friend and stepped back to look at her. "How are you? How're Jem and Tarry?" she asked. She walked back to the booth and they both sat down.

"They're fine," May said. "Jem and I have some exciting news." She looked down.

"What?" Elle asked. Jem was May's husband but was also one of Elle's childhood friends.

"We're going to have a baby," May said.

"Oh, May! Congratulations!" Elle gushed. "When?"

"I have six and a half months yet," May said. "But we were wondering…Elle, would you be godmother?"

"I'd be honored," Elle said. "What else could I do for my two oldest friends?" May grinned. "But how are you all doing? How is Jem's job going?" Elle pressed.

"We're doing fine," May said. "I'm just visiting Mama and Papa for a day or two and I thought I'd stop by. Jem's work is going wonderfully."

"And how's Tarry?" Elle asked. May's second cousin Tarry was another of Elle's closest friends.

"She's doing fine, staying with us right now." May told her. "She's working as an assistant in a dress shop. But you haven't said how _you_ are, Elle!"

"I'm fine, same as always." Elle said.

May pouted. "No new news? Nothing exciting in your life?" Elle shook her head. "No special someone?" May pressed further.

"May!" Elle said. "You know Mama and Papa."

"Oh, right, I forgot." May rolled her eyes.

"They still treat me like a gixie."

"I don't see why you put up with that, Elle. You're a grown mot and your own person." May said.

Elle sighed. "I know, but…" she trailed off.

"You don't want to let them down?" May suggested. She knew Elle very well.

"Something like that." Elle said.

"Come now, there must be _someone_ you're interested in, Elle." May said, very serious. "And if there isn't we're going to find you a cove. It's about time you had a proper sweetheart." She said matter-of-factly. Elle looked down. She was _very_ aware of the fact that she had never had a proper sweetheart, nor any sweetheart at all. How could she not be, with her best friends married and pregnant?

"I don't know…" she trailed off, thinking of Evan. She liked him more than she should, but there was no way in the Mortal Realms or Chaos that he could be interested in her.

"Oh, tell me!" May cried. "You have to!"

Elle hesitated. If it had been anybody else but May, even Jem or Tarry, she wouldn't have said a word. But May was her closest friend, her confidant. She trusted her more that anyone, and she definitely needed a second opinion.

"Well," she began, "there is one cove…"

May's eyes widened. "Really?" she gasped. A wicked glint lit her eyes. "What's his name?"

"Evan," Elle said shyly. "Evan of Deerhorn."

"A noble?" May raised her eyebrows.

Elle blushed. "A knight."

"How did you meet?" May inquired.

"He came by looking for Beka-he's the one my Lord Provost is training to replace him when he retires."

"And?"

May always knew when Elle was withholding information. "Well, I the next day he came here around closing time and took me out to dinner. He's done that for five nights now."

"You like him?"

"Yes," Elle said.

May cut her off. "Than what's the problem?"

"I don't know if _he_ likes _me_." Elle said. May looked like she was about to say something, so she hurried on. "I mean, he obviously likes spending time with me, but I don't know if he just wants to be friends, or something more…" she trailed off.

"I bet he does like you. The nobility don't just decide to be friends with commoners." May said.

"The nobility don't decide to be _anything_ with commoners," Elle pointed out.

"Lady Sabine and Tunstall," May reminded her. "That was a noble bedding a commoner."

"That was Lady Sabine."

"I'm just saying that sometimes nobles bed commoners, it's not entirely unheard of."

Elle blushed. "I bet Evan doesn't care about me at all-he probably just wants to bed me." She muttered darkly. It wasn't as if she hadn't encountered it before, but somehow it seemed worse when she remembered how he had treated her so nicely-

"Don't be stupid," May said. "Nobles, at least ones my Lord Provost picks to succeed him, aren't like that. Besides, after an hour around you he should have realized you wouldn't go with any cove you didn't want to go with, and if anyone forced you they'd have Rosto the Piper to answer to."

Elle nodded. "I guess I'm just being a bit paranoid."

"A little?"

"Alright, a lot." Elle admitted. "But May, I don't know what to do!"

"Look, Elle, you'll be able to tell if he's interested in you or not. It's really not that hard." May paused. "Do you really want me to help you figure this out?" she asked. May knew that for all Elle might complain about not understanding or beg for help, she really preferred to figure things out for herself.

"No, I guess I'll be fine." Elle shifted in her seat. "So, what's all the latest gossip?" she asked her friend. May grinned and launched into a story about Tarry's friend Desella, who had gone to Port Caynn for the weekend and apparently had a tryst with a soldier, and was now pregnant and unmarried and the father didn't know, which was almost scandal in the Lower City. She paused when Elle had to tend to a customer, and had just come to the end of another piece of gossip when Elle looked up, saw Evan walking towards her and froze.

Of course May noticed her reaction. She turned to see what Elle was looking at and saw the knight approaching through the crowd.

"Is that him?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at Elle.

"Yes," Elle said, laughing nervously. "That's him."

May's brow furrowed. Even if Elle didn't see it, she noticed the way the man was looking at her friend. That look in his eyes was so obvious-the warmth and happiness spelled out clearly that he was thrilled to see her, in a more-than-just-friends way. But apparently Elle didn't notice that.

"Hey Elle," he said when he reached the booth. "How are you?" he leaned toward her and lightly kissed her cheek.

"I'm fine, as boring as ever." Elle grinned at him. "And how was your day?"

"Boring as well." He smiled.

May cleared her throat delicately. "Oh," Elle said. "Evan, this is my dearest friend, Mayanne Crisst. May, this is Sir Evan of Deerhorn." May offered her hand and Evan shook it, as was Lower City custom.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," May said. Elle envied her composure-May was the sort of person who could always seem elegant if they wished it.

"The pleasure is mine," Evan said. "Any friend of Elle's is a friend of mine." He flashed Elle a warm smile. She thought she felt her heart stutter.

It was obvious he had come to take Elle out again. "I must be going," May excused herself. "Jem will be missing me and I have to start supper." She smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Evan, and it was wonderful to see you again, Elle."

"It was wonderful to see you too, May. Please stop by again soon," Elle said.

"I'll try," May said. Elle embraced her friend lightly on the shoulders, and May quickly whispered in her ear, "Elle, he's crazy about you!" before she released her friend and left quietly. The look on Elle's face, she decided, was priceless.

May disappeared into the slowly dwindling Daymarket crowd. Elle tried to quickly regain her composure after May's surprising whisper.

"She's nice," Evan noted. "Where do you know her from?"

"Oh, we've known each other since we were little," Elle said. "May an' Jem an' Tarry an' me were inseparable when we were little." She laughed. "Of course, back then Gad was with us, too." Her face fell. Evan noticed.

"What happened to him?" he asked gently.

Elle looked up. "He died in a fishing accident about a year ago. Got this great job as a part-time fisher in Port Caynn, and then not a week after he starts the boat he's on tips over in a squall and the whole crew drowned." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry, Elle," Evan said quietly.

Elle shook her head. "I'm fine."

"So who are Jem and Tarry?" Evan asked, trying to change the subject.

"That's my other two really close friends. Jem's married to May now. It was funny, 'cause one day they just stopped seeing each other as friends and fell in love." Evan smiled at her, encouraging her to continue. "Of course me an' Tarry were very happy for them. Tarry's just a bit younger than me, she's learning how to sew fancy dresses and such now, and staying with Jem an' Tarry."

Evan nodded as Elle walked out from behind the booth. He took her hand easily. "So, where did you want to go tonight?" he asked lightly.

"I don't know," Elle laughed. "You're the one with all the good ideas." She smiled up into his dancing forest hazel green eyes. Now that she knew, at least according to May, that he was interested in her, she felt more comfortable with his hand around hers.

"Hmmm," he pretended to be thinking hard as they started to walk. "I guess we could go to this little place I know that serves Yamani food. Do you like Yamani food?" he asked her.

"I don't know, I've never tried it." Elle admitted.

"You're going to love it," Evan told her, leading her to the place.

*****

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognize still belongs to Tamora Pierce. Everything you don't, I made up, but is based off of the Beka Cooper series.**

_**A/N:**__ So sorry I took longer to update for this one. I worked hard to finish this chapter this weekend so I could post it before I'm gone on a three day school trip with only my cell phone for internet, a.k.a. no way to type or post any chapters! Ahh! But I will be writing in my notebook while I'm there and hopefully have a chapter for my wonderful readers when I get back. Thanks a million to everyone who has reviewed my story (big round of applause for all of you) or added my story to their story alerts or favorites. It inspires me to write so much. Now please review! I appreciate the feedback and encouragement, and I'm asking you to please tell me what you think of Evan, because he's a little hard for me to write and I'd love your opinion on him. _

_Sorry about the giant Author's Note, truly, but I had a lot to say. And remember to check out my other story, _Sarah, Dove and Aly at Kyprin High. _Leave me a review and I'll be sure to update both when I get back!_


	5. A Beautiful Night

**Different:** Chapter 5: A Beautiful Night

Elle had a wonderful time with Evan that night, as she always did. After dinner, as they walked through Nightmarket and shared a pastry, Elle remarked that she should be getting home soon. Evan, of course, said he would walk he.

Evan watched Elle's face as they walked to her house in silence. More than once she glanced down at his hand around hers. She looked up at him, too, but than looked away with a blush when she saw his eyes on her.

When they reached her door, Evan stopped suddenly. He seemed to have something to say to her, but he glanced around the street and at the Dancing Dove behind them nervously.

"Why don't you come in for a moment?" Elle said quietly. Evan obliged silently.

Once they were inside Evan turned to face her. He was quite close to her, and she looked up into his face with surprise. He seemed to be hesitating. It still seemed like he wanted to tell her something.

Suddenly he put a hand on her cheek. Elle started, and he began to take it away but she put her hand over his, keeping his palm pressed against her face. He smiled slightly, bringing his other hand up to trace over her jaw with his finger.

Softly, carefully, Evan leaned his head down to gently kiss her. Elle raised her hand to his neck and moved closer to him. Gently he pulled away.

"I-I'm not the sort to just jump into something, but I feel like I know you so well already, Elle." He whispered. She smiled. "You're just-remarkable. All I want to do is get to know you better, because I love spending time with you. I don't want to scare you away-"

Elle gently put her hand over his mouth. "I understand what you mean," she said. "You want to know me for me, no matter where I come from. And I want to know the real you, even though you're a noble." She gave a small laugh. "We just want to be together, to know each other. Right?" she asked, looking up at him.

Evan smiled in relief. "Yes," he said.

Elle giggled. "Good." Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers, kissing his mouth. His arms wrapped around her tiny waist, holding her close to him.

If Rosto had, at that moment, looked out of the window of the Dancing Dove at his house across the street, he would have been able to see his daughter in the arms of a tall noble, kissing him in a way that wouldn't make her father very happy. But luckily the Piper didn't look, and neither did anyone else. So when Evan finally broke away, insisting he should be getting back but promising to see Elle the next day she was left alone, sitting on the steps, pressing a hand to her rapidly beating heart.

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters…hence the whole "fanfiction" thing…**

_A/N: I know this is so not my best chapter ever, but I was trying so hard to overcome the writers block and actually update! (By the way I've had horrible writer's block which is why I haven't been writing.) Please please please tell me what you think of this, even if you think it's horrible. I'll probably re-write it anyways-I don't like this fic very much. -rowena_


	6. Author's Note: Sorry but please read!

Author's Note:

So, this story was starting to bug me because Elle seemed a bit Mary-Sue-ish and I knew where I wanted the plot to go but I didn't know how to get there. So, I wrote a new first chapter for it. I may end up completely re-writing it, but please go check out _What Shouldn't Be_ and tell me what you think. Is it better than _Different_ or worse? Keep in mind that if I continued to write _What Shouldn't Be_ (and I'd like to) the beginning would be different but the end would be the same ending _Different_ was going to have. Elle's character is changed quite a bit but she's still the same basic person, I promise. And Evan hasn't made an appearance yet but he will.

I know I'd hate if a story I liked ended in the middle, so that's why I'm re-writing it and also giving you the chance to say you hate _What Shouldn't Be_ and that I should just continue with this.

-rowena


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